Sleeper and connection for railways.



PATENTED FEB. 19, 190?.

RH. IRELAND. SLEEPER AND CONNECTION FOR RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5. 1906.

N VE/V TOR 3021622 1 2. [raid/2 ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SLEEPER AND CONNECTION FOR RAILWAYS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 19. 1907.

Applicatimi filed November 5, 1906. Serial No. 342,044.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, ROBERT H. IRELAND, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Sleeper and Connection for Railways, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention is an improved sleeper and connection for railways having, among other objects, to provide for the securing of the rails without the use of spikes or likefastening devices and enabling the rails and sleepers to be assembled expeditiously without t e necessity of gaging the distance between t io rails, which is fixed and determined in the manufacture of the sleeper.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of'a road-bed involving my improvement. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse section through a rail-joint substantially on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a cross-section through one of my improved sleepers at the point where it is connected with the rail, said section being substantially on the line 4 4 of Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the clamping-jaws em loyed in securing the rail and sleeper toget er. Fig. 7 is a perspective, view of the jaw placed at the opposite side of the rail. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the modified form of'jaw which I preferably employ at each railjoint; and Fig. 9 is a sectional view the same as Fig. 4, but showing a modified form of key.

The invention comprises a sleeper 1, con structed in the form of a channel-beam, with outwardly-extending flanges 2 at its open upper face. Each sleeper has passing transversely through its walls near each end an opening for receiving a tapered key 3, said 0 enings being preferably made when the s ee or is manufactured and the gage of the roa being fixed and determined by the distance between them. Clamping-jaws 4 4 (shown in Figs. 6 and 7, respectively) when in position rest on the flanges 2 of the sleeper and are drawn together by the key 3, securing the rails and sleepers together. These jaws are of like construction, except in the particular that the jaw in Fig. 7 is provided 1 with two forwardly-extending ears 5, having alining apertures 6 arranged at each side of its center, whereas the jaw in Fig. 6 is rovided with only one of such ears of a widt to exactly fit between the ears 5 of the former when both jaws are assembled. The dis- .tance between the outer faces of the ears 50f fit into the channel of the sleeper, thereby avoiding any play between these parts when the key 3 is driven to position. The under faces of the jaws 4 4 are inclinedly rabbeted to exactly fit the rail-flanges and wedge said flanges in between them and the top edges of the ears 5 when the jaws are forced together, this rabbeted portion in each of the jaws be ing extended slightly beyond the'required distance to receive the rail-base, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5, in order to insure that the base of the rails will be forced firmly into contact with the sleepers. At rail-joints, which in my construction fallat the center of a sleeper,- I preferably employ clamping jaws 7 of slightly-modified form, as shown in Figs. 3 andS. These jaws are extended in width to embrace the web of the rail and support the rails at each side under their heads, which prevents the joints from being hammered down by continuous usage. The remainder of the construction of the jaw 7 is the same as the jaw of Fig. 7 it of course being understood that the jaw coacting with the jaw 7 at the opposite side of the rail is provided with only one ear 5, as in thecaseof the jaw of Fig. 6.

In Figs. 3, 4, and 5 I have shown a square tapered key 3, which will be found preferable in some constructions. It is obvious, however, that a round tapered key 3 as shown in Fig. 9, might be substituted therefor. Also various other immaterial changes may be made in the construction hereinbefore described without departing from the spirit of my invention, which is limited in scope by the annexed claims only.

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The combination of a channeled sleeper having outwardly-turned flanges at its open side, clamping-jaws resting on said flanges for securing a rail to the sleeper, and means for securing the clamping-jaws and sleeper and forcing the jaws together. i I

the jaw of Fig. 7 is such that they will neatly Having thus described my invention, I

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2. In combination with a rail, a channeled sleeper, a clamping-jaw resting on the upper edges of the sleeper at each side of the rail, and means passing transversely through the sleeper and through the jaws actin to draw the jaws together and clamp the rai therebe tween.

3. In combination with a rail, a channeled sleeper having flanges at the upper edges thereof, a clamp ng-jaw resting on said flanges at each side of the rail, each clamping-jaw having ears extending'within the channel of the sleeper, and a tapered .key passing transversely through the sleeper and ears of the clamping-jaws acting to force the jaws together and clamp the rail therebetween.

4. The combination of a channeled sleeper having flanges at its open side and openings therein, coacting clamping-jaws resting on the flanges and having apertured ears fitting into the channel of the sleeper, and a tapered pin passing through the openings in the sleeper and the apertured ears of the clamping-jaws for connecting the jaws and sleeper together and forcibly engaging the jaws with a mu In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ROBERT H. IRELAND; v

Witnesses:

Tnos. WILLIAMS, JOHN F. GILRoY. 

